Electric sign



Oct. 15, 1935. J. A. HowENsTlNE ELECTRIC SIGN Filed May 14, 1935 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 ELECTRIC SIGN James A. Howenstine,

l Lima, Ohio, assignor to Neon Products, Inc., Lima, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 14,

\ 'l Claims.

This invention relates to electric signs, and par-- ticularly to those ofrthe edge illuminated type,

wherein the illuminating medium is disposed at an edge and light rays therefrom directed edgewise through the glass plate on which is disposed the matter to be displayed.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an improved sign of this character which is simple and unique in its construction, attractive in appearance and highly eilicient as an atten-v tion directing medium for advertising.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying the invention; Fig. 1a is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a corner portion of the sign with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is-an enlarged cross-section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1;.Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4--4 in Fig. 1 with parts broken away and parts removed; Fig. 5 is a view of a. portion of the tube forming the bulb for the illuminating member taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a glass plate on which the matter to be displayed is etched, or otherwise suitably applied in a. manner to cause such matter to stand out or be illuminated by disposing a lighting medium at one or more edges oi' the plate, so that the rays therefrom are directed edgewise through the glass, as well understood in the art.`

In the present embodiment of the invention, the glass plate I is engaged and supported at its opposite'side edges by standards 22, having feet 3 at their lower ends, and the top and bottom edges of the plate are substantially straight and left free and unprotected, so that external light rays may be directed through such edges into the plate.

Adjacent to each of said free edges, parallel thereto and substantially coextensive in length therewith, is a tubular incandescent lamp It, in the present instance of a type having the filament extended from end to end through the glass tube and connected at its ends to end contacts on the tube. The lamp lament 5 is supported at intervals by a support 6 extending from end to end of the tube along one side thereof and the contacts at the ends` of thev tube are enclosed by insulation caps 1. These caps have tongues 8 pro- 1935, Serial No. 21,427 (Cl. 40-130) jected laterally from the tube through the cap sides and adapted forinsertion into sockets 9 in releasable engagement with spring contact fingers I0 therein. (Fig. 6). `The sockets 9 are suitably mounted in the ends of the standards 2.

The tubes forming the bulbs of the lamps 4 are of glass and are treated in any suitable manner to render them translucent or light diiusing, except for a substantially clear narrow window porf tion II adjacent to, in register with, and substan- 10 I tially coextensive in length with the portion of the plate edge to be illuminated thereby. The tubes may be rendered `translucent or light diffusing `by painting them any desired color, as shown at I2, whichrmay be of a color suitable to harmonize with the colored portions of the sign or to produce a glow at the edges of the sign of a color desired. For instance-it is found in practice that by painting the tubes an orange color produces a pleasing glow of that color at the edge of the plate while the transparent window portion II permits undiiused light rays to be projected therethrough and into the registering edge portion of the .plate I.

Each standard 2 is composed of two opposed 25 stamped metal sections I5 of like form, which, when fitted together against opposite sides of an edge portion of the plate I with their outer edge portions lapped, produce a hollow frame of suitable cross-sectional contour. In the present instance, each section I5 has a leg portion a adapted to seat ilatwise against a side of the plate I at its marginal edge portion, the metal at the inner edge of such leg being bent or fashioned to provide the laterally bulged portion b at the outer freeI edge of which is formed the inwardly extending side portion c which laps the corresponding portion of the companion member I5, as best shown in Fig. 3. The plate is clamped between the legs, a, a, by bolts I6, and the lapping side portions c are secured together by screws II., thus providing a light, cheap, ornamental frame structure of rigid form. I

The sockets 9 are suitably mounted in the ends of the standards 2 and cooperate with end plates`45 20 to close such ends, as best shown in Figs. 2` and 6. The spring ngers I0 of the sockets in one standard are connected to a common circuit wire 2I, while the contact ngers in the sockets in the other standard are lconnected'to 50 another circuit wire 22. It is apparent that the laments i'n the lamps 4 close the connection between the -wires 2l and 22, so that when a plug at the end of the cable 23, in which such wires are disposed, is plugged into an electrical service socket, in the customary manner, the lamps will be lighted.

It is apparent that-by providing an incandescent lamp of the tubular bulb type along one or more of the exposed edges of a plate-glass sign, and Vrendering the tubular bulb translucent or light diiusing, except as to a narrow straight line window portion, which is adjacent to and registers with an edge of the glass plate, a bright undiffused light is directed into the edge of the glass plate, so as to effectively illuminate the display matter appearing thereon, while the portion of the lamp tube which is visible to a person viewing the sign, renders a subdued glow, therehy giving a pleasing border eilect to the sign. Invother words, the lamp accomplishes two purposes, (1) that of directing a bright light into the sign plate to bring out the features of the design without producing a glare of light to an observer, and i2) that of producing a soft border glow of the desired color.

A platel 25 is mounted on the end plate 20 without the tongue-receiving portion of the socket 9, at each end of a standard 2, being secured in position by bolts 26, and projecting from each plate 25 in guarding relation to the adjacent end of the respective lamp 4 is an ear 21.

' from the spirit ofthe claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is: v

1. In an electric sign, in combination, a glass sign plate having a free uncovered edge, an incandescent lamp having a tubular bulb portion adjacent to said edge parallel thereto and substantially coextensive therewith, with its lament extending substantially the length of the bulb, saidbulb portion being translucent except 'for a narrow window portion of greater translucency disposed in register with and lengthwise if said edge, whereby the lamp whenlighted produces a diiused border light for the sign plate and directs a brighter light through the plate edgewise thereof.

2. In an electric sign, in combination, a glass sign plate having a free uncovered edge, an incandescent lamp having a tubular. bulb portion adjacent to said edge parallel thereto and substantially coextensive in length therewith, with its lament extending substantially throughout 'he length of the bulb with contacts at the bulb ends, said bulb being translucent except for a narrow transparent window portion in register with and substantially coextensive in length with the length of such edge and disposed to permit undiiusedlight rays from the lament to be directed edgewise through the plate, and electric circuit connections at .the end portions of said plate edge for the lament contacts.

3. In an electric sign, the combination with a glass sign plate having light intercepting indicia and a free uncovered edge, of an electric lamp of said edge, whereby the lamp when lighted 5 produces a diifused border light for the sign Aplate and directs a brighter light through the plate edgewise thereof.

4. In an electric sign, the combination with a glass sign plate having light intercepting indicia 10 and its upper and lower edges uncovered, supporting means for the plate at least at one side edge thereof, of an electric lamp of tubular bulb form disposed alongeach of said upper and lower edges, said bulbs being translucent except for a 15 transparent window portionopposite to the respective upper and lower edges of the sign plate in register therewith, whereby the lamps when lighted produce diffused border lights for the sign plate and direct a brighter light through the 29 plate edgewise thereof.

5. In an electric` sign, in combination, a glass sign plate having free uncovered upper and lower edges, standards attached to the side edges of said plate, an incandescent lamp at each free 2;, edge of the plate having tubular bulb portions adjacent to said edges parallel thereto and substantially coextensive in length therewith, with their filaments extending substantially throughout the length of the bulb with contacts at lthe 30 bulb ends, each of said bulbs being translucent except for a narrow transparent window portion in register with and disposed to permit unditfused light rays from the filament to be directed edgewise through the plate, and releasable electric 35 circuit connections carried by said standards for the end contacts of the lamps.

6. In an electric sign, a glass sign plate having a free horizontal edge, frame members attached to the side edges of the plate, each comprising o two stamped members engaging opposite sides of an edge 'portion of the plate and having their outer edge portions lapped, an electric socket adjacent an end of the free plate edge, an electric lamp of tubular bulb form disposed along 45 said free edge of the plate with its tubular bulb parallel to and substantially coextensive in length with such edge, whereby light rays from the lamp are directed edgewise through the plate, said lamp having filament contacts at its ends 50 for releasable connection with said socket members.

'1. In an electric sign, a glass sign plate having upper and lower free edges, hollow frame members attached to the side edges of the plate and being substantially coextensive in length with such edges, an electrical circuit connecting member mounted in each end of each frame member, an electric incandescent lamp mounted adjacent to each free edge of said plate and -having a tubular bulb portion substantially parallel and coextensive in length with such edge and having its lament extending lengthwise through the lamp, and means at each end of the -lamp in electrical connection with the respective 'lo JAMES A. HOWENSTINE 

